Empathy
by SGsVamp
Summary: Angel meets the one who seems was made just for him. Angel/OC
1. Chapter 1

**AN ~ **Takes place during the Second seasons after Darla has left but before she comes back pregnant.

Epilogue

_**The empathic one born, nameless, under a new moon, **_

_**will seek the demon with human essence.**_

_**Thrice blood will be spilled,**_

_**Twice evil will defile.**_

_**Blood drained to the point of death will righten wrongs, **_

_**purify soul and bestow new existence.**_

CAPTER ONE

Babe stared at her boyfriend in near disgust, as he lay on their russet, stained sofa half asleep even though it was midday. They had been dating for years but it was only since they had moved in together that things had started to change between them. Before that he had always been so warm and loving, honest and open, now he was cold, cruel and harsh.

"What's wrong sweetie?" she asked him, hoping that he tone was more concern than criticism. She didn't want to upset him. He seemed like a completely different person to her now and she was unsure how he would react this time. Before he had always been so full of life, he had always been taking her out on dates or to parties. Shortly after she had moved in though he had changed and not for the better. Now he only left the apartment at night and never took her with him, or told her where he went, he spent his days napping. It was as if a cloud of depression had settled over him and no matter what she did she couldn't help him shift it. He only came alive at night, just before he left the apartment. She needed to know what had changed him. Up until now she and tried to stay out of his business so not to anger him further, but enough was enough. What had changed? was he seeing someone else, behind her back? Had she done something to upset him that he couldn't talk to her about? She didn't know, but she needed to find out. She knew she should leave him, but she loved him enough to give him another change, he had been such a good person before, he deserved at least that much from her in her eyes. He may not have been the same person she had fallen in love with now, but she wanted the old Stan back so she stayed, she put up with his moods, the insults and even the violence.

Stan remained silent. He just stared ahead, as if unable to hear her, or unwilling to listen. The first time he had got like this she had thought at first that he had fallen asleep with his eyes open.

"You've changed." Babes continued, hoping to prompt a response from him. The reaction she got however was not the one she wanted.

"Why don't you read my mind? Then you can tell me what's wrong huh!" Stan snapped, suddenly on his feet. He grabbed her brutally by the shoulders, clutching hard. "Go ahead! Read my mind!" He looked her straight in the eye. She wanted to avoid his gaze but she held it, she stared into his once loving, now hollow eyes, hoping to find some sign of his former self. Anything that would give her hope that he was still there, a shred of the man that she loved could still be there.

It was too much for her, she let out a sob as the dam broke and the tears were set lose and made a rush for it down trembling checks.

"I…I can't." she stammered.

"You know Babe I'm not the one who has changed, it's you. You used to have a freaky supernatural vibe about you. Now you're just a freak." He pushed her back against the wall, pinning her there.

"Useless bitch. You never had a problem getting your hocks in before" He pulled at her skirt, pulling it up round her waist. "though maybe you're not completely useless."

"Please Stan, no!" she begged him, knowing what was coming. He had done it to her before and left the scars there and elsewhere to prove it. She clawed at his hold he had on her throat, as her tears started trickerling down her checks. Stan held his grip tight until the blood pounded in her ears, her vision blurred and her head spun. She felt Stan's free hand fumble down her and seized her inner thigh, squeezing a old wound he had inflicted on her previously and she felt it reopen under his pressure and the blood flow down her leg. She wanted to scream, in pain and in terror but she couldn't breathe. His grip on her throat was much too tight. As the pain over took her she blacked out.

* * *

><p><strong>Please R&amp;R :)<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**AN ~ I do not own anything from the world of Angel only OC are mine.**

**CHAPTER TWO**

Flash!

Searing pain!

Someone screaming… '_that would be me'._

Flashing lights. Feelings; fear, pain, heartache. A clock face reading quarter past nine. Taste; bitter, intense,…Some sort of alcohol…Scotch? Sounds; Laughing, music, tinkering of glass…A bar! The images blend together. A girl with golden hair, a dark shadow lurks behind her, a bright green poster advertising happy hour. A knowing of impending danger.

"_God I really hate visions!"_ Cordelia thought with a huff as Angel helped her back to her feet. Not for the first time she had wished Doyle hadn't passed them onto her, but she quickly rid her head of that thought. At least she still had a part of him. One no one else would ever have. The two of them as well as Gunn, Fred and Wesley were in the Hyperion hotel, their base for Angel Investigations. It was a bight sunny morning, as it usually was in L.A. The kind Angel really hated but the other all loved.

"What did you see?" Angel was quick to ask, as he helped her back into a seat.

"I'm fine, by the way." Cordelia said, massaging her temples with the balls of her fingers and glaring at him in annoyance. Angel stammered trying to rectify his carelessness but was cut off when Cordelia continued. "A girl…blonde, she's going to be in a bar across town in a couple of hours. Something's after her, I couldn't see what."

"That's it?" Angel inquired.

"That's it." Cordelia confirmed. "The P.T.B weren't to big on the particulars, but she's in trouble. I got the feeling that if we don't get to her soon she's going to be dead."

Angel looked out despairingly into the sun drenched street outside. "It's still daylight." Angel said, more to himself than the others.

"It's okay, we just need to persuade her to come here." Cordelia said. "We can go."

"What about this things that's trying to kill her?" Angel asked, concerned with letting his team go to face the danger alone. "We don't even know what we're dealing with."

"Whatever it is, it's not in the bar." Cordelia told him. "Plus she's scared…_and_ blonde, so you should probably keep your distance." she added pointing an accusing finger at the vampire.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Angel asked as Cordelia grabbed her bag. She rolled her eyes at him. "What's that supposed to mean?" he repeated louder, but this time she ignored him and followed the other who where already heading up the steps towards the door. Out into that deadly light that forbid him escorting his team, his friends, his link to his humanity. His folded his arms across his broad chest, _'I hate it when that happens.'_

…

Babe got her drink and sat down in a booth, alone in the corner. She stared into the bronzed interior of he scotch, as if hypnotised. She had needed a good strong drink to calm her nerves, so she had headed to the local bar, plus she really didn't want to still be in the apartment when Stan got back from wherever it was he went every night. She didn't want to see that cold, hard hate that now filled his once loving eyes whenever he took the time to look at her. Didn't want to feel the pain inflicted by his hand anymore.

When she had came to in their apartment she was in a crumpled heap on the floor. Dumped there like a piece of litter. According to the clock hanging on the wall she had been unconscious for three hours. The wound on her thigh had stopped bleeding but was now joined by a second. They both had left dried stains down her legs and stung painfully as she moved.

Suddenly she looked up, as if she had been startled. She sensed someone watching her. She stared all round the crowded bar suspiciously, but whoever her eyes fell everyone seemed engrossed in their own conversations. She knew that feeling and she was rarely wrong…But maybe this was one of those rare times. They had been happening more and more recently. With a sad sigh she dismissed the feeling, scolding herself for being paranoid and on edge and returned her focus to her drink. Letting the smooth shimmering of the ice floating within the liquid hold her attention.

However she was right across the sparse bar the Angel Investigation team watched cautiously.

"Is that her?" Wesley enquired in a hushed whisper, nodding his head in the direction of the solitary blonde that Cordy was staring at. She ignored him. "The one you saw in your vision?…Cordy!" he hit her lightly on her arm.

"Ooww! What?" she looked up at him. Anger plastered on her beautiful face.

"Is that her?" Wesley repeated, pointing towards the girl. Judging by Cordy's focus it most likely was, but knowing Cordelia it was just as possible that she was simply admiring the girls blouse.

"Yes." Cordelia said turning her attention back across the bar.

"You were right, she is pretty." Wesley said with a nod, briefly stealing a glance at Fred out the corner of his eye.

"We're on a case. Not on the pull!" Cordelia reprimanded him with a grin, having spotted the look. Wesley was quick to look at his toes, to hide his embarrassment.

"Does she look nervous to you?" Fred asked. The blonde wasn't acting normally. She kept on looking around her and she was fidgeting too much.

"_Yeah sure, that she notices, but she cant see what's under her own nose. For a smart girl she's not so bright."_ Cordelia thought.

"Oh yeah that girl has got victim written all over her." Gunn agreed. "Even without the vision you could have spotted her a mile off."

"Well if it's that easy how about next time we just send you out cruising the bars. Save me the headache." Cordelia said.

"Come on, we better go and speak to her." Wesley said raising from the table and heading towards Babe, the others hastily followed.

As they approached her table Babe looked up. "Can I help you?" she asked defensively. There was a weakness to her voice, as though she was in shock.

"Hi." Cordelia smiled, oblivious to Babes discomfort. "Are you in need of rescuing?"

She was serious Babe could tell, but she didn't understand. What was this woman talking about? Could she know about Stan? There was no way she could. Was she mad? Babe didn't think so.

Wesley interrupted before Babe could respond. "Cause that's what we do. We help people."

"Yeah, and only for a low fee." Cordelia added, still smiling. Wesley gave her a harsh look.

"What makes you think I need to be rescued?" Babe asked them, looking at each of them in turn. She could tell there was more to them than met the eye and until she know what that something was she choice to remain courteous.

"We have our reasons." Wesley answered and then quickly tried to change the subject. "I'm sorry I'm being rude, I'm Wesley Windon-Price and this is Cordelia, Gunn and Fred."

"I'm Babe." she said smiling for the first time in weeks, but it faded quickly as she shock Wesley's extended hand. He was worried about her, she could sense that yet she didn't know why. It unsettled her. "I don't need any rescuing, thank you." She said.

"Well, should you ever, call us." He took a business card out of the breast pocket of his shirt and handed it to her, it showed an image of an angel and a phone number as well as the name "Angel Investigations".

"Thanks I will." Babe told him, though only to jettison them. They said their goodbyes and went on their way, leaving Babe with her scotch. She twisted the card over in her fingers a couple of times, looking at it. Some how a sense of warmth and comfort came from it. She slipped it into her purse. It would be another five days before she used it.

"That didn't go to well." Fred said the moment they step out onto the sunny street.

"I think we scared her." Gunn said, disappointment showed on his face.

"I think she was already scared." Cordelia said to them.

"She took our card though." Fred said, ever trying to be perky.

"We'll keep an eye on her, but we cant force her to come with us." Wesley said.

"I can stay. Scope out the place." Gunn offered. "Trail her."

"Good idea, but keep out of sight. We don't want to worry her more."

"Why not? She already has reason to be paranoid." Cordelia observed. "Probably be good to get her to watch over her shoulder for a while."

"Did your vision give you any indication when this, whatever it is, is going to strike?" Wesley asked her.

"No, just some fuzzy thing behind her." Cordelia told him.

"So it could already be with her? Maybe something mystical?" Wesley questioned.

Cordelia shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine."

"Right, Gunn I don't want you staying alone, just in case it's already here." Wesley said taking charge.

"I'll stay." Fred offered.

Although he didn't like the idea, Wesley couldn't think of a reason for it not to be Fred who stayed behind, so he was glad when it was Cordelia who came to his rescue.

"No I'll stay. More might come to me if I'm here. Plus I'm guessing the others get research detail and I don't think my head could handle it at the moment."

AN ~ Please review.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"Hello Angel Investigations, we help the hopeless." Cordy answered the phone on its second ring, in her usual cheery manner.

It was a week since the group had met with Babe and so far they hadn't been able find out what could be trying to harm her. Cordy's vision hadn't given them anything to go on, other than where to meet her the once and all attempts to find where she lived had been a flop. The bar had been staked out 24/7, Gunn and Fred during the day and Angel at night, on the off chance that she would return there, but she hadn't. Wesley was going through the police database after illegally hacking into it, but without her surname it was a long search, so far he had found nothing on her. They were beginning to worry that they were too late and whatever it was trying to hurt of kill her could have already succeeded.

"Hello…Cordelia? Is that you?" the voice on the other end of the line was so weak and quite that Cordy could barely make her out.

"Babe?" she asked quickly as she snapped her fingers at Wesley to get his attention, he immediately jumped to his feet.

"Yeah," Babe answered. "I didn't have anyone else to call…" he voice wavered.

"It's fine, what's wrong? Where are you?" Cordy asked her.

Cordy had to stain to hear Babe's reply. "I'm so weak…I don't know what wrong with me." she started crying. "I don't know what else to do. You said if I ever needed help…"

"Babe, calm down it's okay. We're gonna come and get you, just give me the address."

Wesley read the address that Cordy wrote down over her shoulder and got out his cell dialling Gunn's number. He was at the bar with Fred and was only around the corner,

"Be careful." he told him. "Whatever is harming her could still be there."

…

"No problem." Gunn said and hung up the phone. "Come on, we've got her address." he told Fred, rising from his seat.

The apartment was only a couple of minutes away, but not knowing what they could find they took the truck anyway. They may need a fast get away.

20 minutes later, Gunn strode back into the hotel with Babe in his arms and followed by a worried looking Fred. They couldn't believe the state they had found her in, crumpled up on the floor, next to the phone. She was so weak that she had barely been able to lift her head up when they entered. She looked so scared and helpless, but when she saw whom it was a kind of relief had washed over her. He had quickly picked her up and got her out of there, not wanting to stick around to find out what had done this to her, they could find that out once they got her out of danger and back to the safety of the hotel. She didn't look good and he didn't want that happening to himself, or more specifically Fred.

Angel was upstairs in his room when they got back, but he came down as soon as he heard Gunn's voice. He ran down the staircase in time to see him carefully lowering the feeble blonde onto one of the red couches by Wesley's office.

"This is Angel." Gunn told her, his voice low, as if a loud noise could break her.

"Hi." Angel said, just as softly as he sat down across from her. "Can you tell me what happened to you?"

Babe wearily turned her head to face him and her eyes twinkled with recognition, she frowned. "You?" she said quietly, almost under her breath, looking puzzled.

Angel was taken aback. She knew him? Yet he was sure he had never met her. He would have defiantly remembered her. "Have we met?"

She closed her eyes and shock her head, as if trying to get herself together. "Oh…I'm sorry…I just…I'm just tired."

"Don't apologise just tell us what happened."

"I'm not really sure, it all started a couple of days ago, I started getting really weak and dizzy all the time. My muscles ached like I'd been on a twelve mile run ad I didn't have a clue why…it just kept getting worse…Now I can hardly move." She closed her eyes for a second, then added. "Even talking makes me tired.

Angel, who had remained silent taking every detail in without questioning, now scooped her up into his arms.

"What are you doing?"

"Putting you to bed." he told her. "You can get some rest here. Don't worry we're very good at figuring out things just like this."

She rested her head against his shoulder and whispered, "Thank you." she really did need some sleep. Usually she had trouble sleeping in strange or new places, but for some reason she felt at ease with these people. Plus she was too tired to worry about anything at the moment. She closed her eyes, feeling safe and comfortable.

"Don't thank me yet." Angel said as he made his way upstairs and into one of the many spare rooms. She was already asleep when he laid her down on the bed and pulled the blankets over her.

He looked down at her sleeping form and his stomach knotted up. She had known him, downstairs she had recognized him. She had tried to blame the reaction on her fatigue but he suspected there was more to it than she was willing to say at the moment. She was a stranger to him. He was sure he would remember her, had he seen her before. She was incredibly beautiful, with long golden blonde hair (he had always liked that), a toned, athletic body, with freckled skin.

She looked so helpless at the moment, but he could sense that there was an incredible strength within her.

Whilst watching her sleep, he was aware that he had licked his lips more than once. He had an almost uncontrollable urge to kiss her full lips. The butterflies in his stomach where doing back flips and he swallowed hard trying to compose himself.

After a while he managed to pull himself away from her and rejoined the gang downstairs.

"Well?" Gunn asked him as he reached the lobby.

"She's incredibly weak." Angel told them. "It felt like I was going to break her. Also I could smell blood on her." he said, wondering if that had been the reason for the urges he had felt, though he doubted it. It was a desire more than an instinct.

"Blood?" Cordy questioned.

Angel nodded.

"Why is there always blood? Just once I'd like the PTB to send me a nice vision, with no blood, or slime, or-"

"Cordelia." Angel interrupted the seers ramble, bringing her back to the present situation. "We need to focus here. Time is running out and we have no idea what's causing this and no leads to go on."

"Could this be some kind strength sucking demon?" Fred asked.

"Could be, or maybe some kind of witchcraft." Angel added.

"Couldn't she just be ill?" Gunn said. "Not everything has to be supernatural you know. People do just get sick."

"True, but Cordy had a vision. They don't call us for the regular cases."

"No, they'd call 911." Fred joked, beaming widely.

"We need more information." Angel said. "I'm going to see if Kate has any news. Other victims that match the symptoms or anything that could be related. Maybe she has something on her address." He started heading for the door. "Look into any demons that could be doing this, or spells, or anything." he added as he rushed out.

…

1980 Iowa.

The moonlight glistened over the slopping hills and lush fields, turning the fresh greens to dull greys. Suddenly, a blue Volkswagen beetle skidded round the bend, disrupting the peacefully silence of the night.

A woman sat in the passenger seat, clinging on to the side and dash of the car, attempting to hold herself in the seat as the car skidded around bend after bend. "Slow down. You've lost them." she cried to her husband desperately, peering over her shoulder through the rear view window at the dark and empty road behind them.

Curled up snugly in the baby car seat, their newborn baby daughter amazing slept soundly through the turbulent ride.

"Have to be sure." her husband replied, from behind the wheel as he skidded round another bend. "They keep coming, always when we think we've lost them."

"They must have some kind of locator spell on us."

"Can't you, I don't know, un-spell their spell?"

She had to stop herself from laughing at him; for a half demon her husband was very naive when it came to the mystical arts. "Not without knowing what spell they've cast. They don't know she been born. Our only chance is to get her somewhere safe before they find us again."

"None of this would be necessary if we had just destroyed the prophecy in the first place."

"I've already told you, destroying the prophecy wont stop it becoming true. The best we could do is get rid of the piece we had, so they cant uncovering the full meaning."

"I just hope The Wolf, Ram and Hart aren't present in whatever detention you sent it to."

Choice-less the couple pulled into the hospital, lifted the baby-seat from the back and with heavy heart carried their most precious treasure to the rear entrance of the building.

The witch desperately tried to clear the tears from her eyes so she could see her baby, if this was the last time she would see her cherished daughter she didn't want the memory to be clouded. She hated herself for leaving, abandoning her baby, but knew beyond every thought, every feeling that this was the only choice left for them. As heartbreaking as leaving her was, keeping her with them would result in her death and she would rather not see her baby again and know that she was alive then watch her killed.

"We should leave a note, name her so we can find her again if we get out of this." her husband said mournfully, giving her shoulder a supportive squeeze.

Gently, she shock her head. "We can't do that. Knowing someone's name gives you power over them. Without a name she'll be stronger and she's going to need all the strength she can get. She'll just have to remain; baby girl."

"Our little Babe."

…

"Babe…Babe…" Angel gently shock her. "Wake up." He wanted to let her sleep for longer, but his need for answers had a greater need. Whatever was happening to her could still be accruing, so she wasn't safe until he figured out what it was.

Kate had found out that a Stan Marshal also lived at the address, he had gotten a criminal record a few years before for handling stolen goods and had received three months imprisonment. He had not been in any trouble since and hardly fitted the bill of which angel was looking for, but it was the only lead he had.

Babe blinked a few times, yawned and looked up at him, it was a very nice was to wake up and she smiled.

"Who's Stan Marshal?" Angel asked her.

Babe's smiled faded instantly. She looked away from him and sighed. The easiness she had felt when she had seen him not left her. "He's my boyfriend." she told him reluctantly, avoiding eye contact. "Why?"

"I'm looking into every possibility. We need to know who's doing this to you."

"But why? I mean…I'm getting stronger, can't we just leave it, maybe it'll go away on it's own." she said panicked. "Besides, who says someone's doing this to me?"

Angel frowned in confusion. "Is there something you're not telling me?" He could hear her heart rate increase when he had mentioned Stan Marshal and not in a good way, something was very wrong with that. He could smell the fear on her and could only think of one reason why she would fear her own boyfriend, it would also explain the blood. "Does he hurt you?"

The look that flashed briefly in her tired eyes told him that he had guessed correctly, although she denied it strongly.

"No! of course not." she lied, she didn't want him to know, she found it embarrassing and she didn't want Stan blamed, he used to be a nice guy and she didn't want him judged for a few recent acts that he would no doubt feel bad for.

"What does he do to you?" Angel persisted.

"Nothing." she replied although her voice cracked when she spoke.

Angel decided to try another approach. "Can you think of any reason anyone-" he stopped himself from saying 'else' "-would be doing this to you?"

Babe sighed. "I'm empathic. I can sense things, like emotions, sometimes I get a hint of a thought…I've always been able to for as long as I can remember…some people don't like it. They think it's intrusive and since this…whatever it is, I haven't been able to."

"And what does Stan think of these powers?" Angel asked, not liking that there was clearly something about this man that she was keeping hidden.

"He used to think it was kinda cool." Babe said. She was a little shocked, she had rarely told anyone about her empathic-ness and those she did tell were either greatly shocked or just thought she was crazy. Angel however didn't seem to react at all to the news, he just carried on as if she hadn't told him anything unusual at all.

"And now?" he asked.

Babe paused and looked away again, not wanting him to see the truth in her expression. He knew there was something she was keeping quite, she could tell, she could feel the hint of suspicion radiating off him, along with a determination, that told her, without a doubt that he wasn't going to let this drop. She didn't have a choice, she had to tell him. Surprisingly she found it to be a relief, she didn't understand why, but she hated lying to this man.

She took a long, deep breath while she decided hw best to answer his question. "He hasn't been the same since…since I noticed a change in him."

"What kind of change?" Angel asked sitting forward, needed to know more.

"He seemed…" Babe's eyes moved from side to side, as if searching her brain for the right word for what she had sensed. "…Hollow." she said finally.

"Hollow?" Angel repeated, disliking the sound of that.

She nodded. "And not just that, he changed on the outside too. He was cold, cruel and mean. he was never like that before…he just wasn't the man I fell in love with." she added sadly.

"Was that when he got aggressive?" Angel asked hoping that now she had started she would give him the full story.

"No!" Babe said adamantly.

"Okay." Angel nodded, raising his hands not wanting to push her to the point where she'd close up, she had given him something to go on and would tell him the rest when she was ready, he knew she would. He didn't know how he knew that, but somehow he just did.

"I better get back downstairs and help the other." He stood to leave.

"Angel." she called as he reached the door.

He paused in the threshold and turned back to face her.

A pause and Babe took a deep breath, he saw tears forming in her eyes. "He likes to cut me." she said quietly, her chin trembling.

Angel said nothing. He closed the door and returned to the bed, sitting down beside her, waiting for her to continue.

"It's always the same. It's been happening for weeks now. Mostly on my thighs, but sometimes on my arms. Places where I can hide."

"Let me see." Angel said sounding more persistent than he meant to.

Babe swallowed hard, bit her lip to try and stop the trembling. She looked nervous as she let Angel roll her sleeve.

He studied the wound on the inside of her elbow for only a fraction of a second, not needed more time than that to recognize it. "This isn't a cut." he told her. "It's a bite."

Confused, Babe double checked the scar. It was defiantly the one she had gotten from Stan and now Angel mentioned it it did look very bit-like, but that seemed, not it was impossible. "A b-b-bite?" she stammered. "What do you mean?"

"Is Stan a vampire?" Angel asked her keeping his sight focused on her eyes, searching for any truth that she might try to hide. He had seen no other being, demon or otherwise, leave a puncture mark like that on the flesh. Also, it was directly above one of her major arteries, the perfect place to get an easy flow of blood. He guess that if he saw the other they would be the same. She had said thigh and there was a nice vein on the inner leg.

"Are you…serious?" Babe asked, eyes wide, but she already knew that he was. She was getting more and more uncomfortable and scared by the minute.

Angel smelt her fear hitch up further and didn't wish to scare her further, but he had to continue. "You said he changed. Is he cold to the touch? Has he been staying out of the daylight?"

Babe thought about it for a long moment…Angel was right. His skin had been cold every time he had touched her and he had spent every day inside, only ever leaving the apartment after the sun went down...but a vampire?

She looked him straight in his eyes, searching for any sign that he was lying to her…she found none, and that didn't surprise her. Somehow she already knew that he was being honest.

Angel saw the moment the realisation dawned on her. She took it better than most, but then growing up empathic probably helped her except the strange and supernatural.

"A vampire?" she said somewhat uncertainly, seeking answers to questions she didn't know how to put into words.

"Some do that. Young vampire, newly turned, they keep a victim alive for as long as they can while they lean to hunt, as a safety net. Meanwhile the victim gets weaker and weaker from blood loss, until they…" he didn't need, or want to finish his sentence. She had had a lucky escape, if she hadn't phoned them when she did he knew she wouldn't have had the strength for one more feeding from him.

Babe was staring ahead, blankly. It was a lot to take in, yet she still felt that honesty from him and as much as she wanted to doubt what he was telling her she simply couldn't. A million thoughts ran through her mind as she compared this situation to every vampire movie she had ever seen. She absentmindedly ran her finger over the scar on the inside of her arm as she thought. "Does this mean I'll become one?"

"No, common misconception made by most people. In order for that to happen, you would have had to feed on his blood as well."

She screwed her face up, wrinkling her petit nose. "Eeww…How do you know so much about all this?"

"You need to get your strength back." Angel said rasing off the bed. "I'll get Fred to get you something to eat."

"I'm not hungry." Babe said quietly, although she hadn't eaten in ages, the thought of eating while he mind was this troubled seemed impossible, there was just too much going on in her head.

"You should eat something. You need to get your strength back and you're staying here until you do. We'll figure out what to do then, but in the meantime I've got a vampire to slay."

"Slay? Do you mean kill? No!"

Angel sighed and looked down at the floor, avoiding her intent gaze. He knew how hard this was when it happened to a loved one, but it had to be done. "It's not Stan anymore. You said it yourself that he wasn't the man you fell in love with. That man died the moment he was turned. It's a demon that now resides in his body, a evil, soulless killer and it has to die before it hurts someone else."

"What if you get hurt?" Babe asked worriedly.

Angel was taken aback with flattery and couldn't help the brief upward twitch of his lips, he honestly hadn't expected her to be concerned for his safety, but he was thrilled she did. "Don't worry, this is what we do. I won't get hurt. Get some sleep, I'll be back before you know it."

"Promise?" she pleaded, the worried look still ghosting behind her tired eyes.

"I promise." He smiled again keeping his eyes locked to hers to confirm the sincerity of his vow. The strong urge to kiss her was back with abundance. He raised his hand to stroke his fingers down her cheek, but stopped himself as he started to reach towards her. '_What am I doing?'_ he thought. _'No. I can't be. I just can't be, please God no! Don't let me be…_

…_falling in love.'_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The darkness surrounded her as she stepped over the threshold of their once love filled, now dark tainted apartment. Although she was armed with a wooden stake, which she held aloft over her shoulder ready to strike, she was shivering all over. A chill washing over her, settling into a stubborn lump in the centre of her chest, which had nothing to do with the icy temperature. Fear was creeping and crawling up her spine, making her heart pound impossible loudly behind her ears.

She stepped slowly and carefully into the darkness and it engulfed her, swallowing her whole within its black velvetiness.

"Stan!" she called into the blackness, her voice echoing round her. She cringed at the nervousness in her own voice as it wavered uncontrollably and tried to calm herself, unsuccessfully, before speaking again. "Are you here?"

"I'm here."

His voice hissed, so twisted with evil she couldn't recognize it. It stirred the air around her, softly attacking from all directions and causing her trembling to jump up a gear.

Swallowing down a gasp and a frighten lump in her throat, she fought to steady her voice. "Where? I can't see you."

"I can see _you_ just fine." came his contorted reply. "What have you brought that stake for?"

"You," she answered, for the first time since she walked through the door, her resolve set. She turned, looking around her space quickly, yet it was useless. No light was penetrating the heavy blackness. Her human eyes were no match for the artificial moonless night Stan had created within his 'nest'.

Laughing echoed all around her, twisting the air in a violent sneer.

As quick as a cobra strike, Stan lunged at her and he stake plucked effortlessly for her grasp. She clawed at her pocket for the holy water bottle contained within, but he was gone, disappeared back into the black as quick as he had appeared.

Her breathing quickened, the only thing she could hear, other than her drumming heartbeat. Bravely she closed her eyes, drawing all her senses to her adrenalin sharpened hearing, listening for any pin fall in the silence.

There! A soft footstep behind her.

She spun, eyes flying open, and threw the holy water all over…

…Angel!

He screamed as his skin started to burn.

…

Babe jerked awake, a terror curdled scream escaping her lips. Desperately, she fought to sit up, but she was still too weak. Sweating, she collapsed back into the deep pillow, breathing heavily.

'_It was only a dream. It was only a dream.' _She told herself, over and over trying to quell the panic fisting her heart. _'But when are my dreams ever just dreams?'_

Angel, woken from his sleep, by Babe's scream, dashed across the hallway from the room opposite, to his bedroom he had chivalrously given to the damsel in distress.

Vamp senses heightened, he instantly scanned the room for any danger and finding none, turned all his attention to the panic stricken woman laying upon his bed. "Babe? What is it? What's wrong?" he asked, gently taking hold of her shaking shoulders, hoping to give some level of comfort.

It had the opposite effect. She looked absolutely terrified, chest heaving, eyes wide, as if she was on the verge of a panic attack. It was a look he had cherished in his days as Angelus, but now it stabbed at his compassion.

"Get away from me!" she screamed, with as much force as she could will into her voice. Vainly, she tried to back away from the closeness of the vampire now holding her, hoping her fear and anger at his betrayal would give her some new found strength.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his heavy set brow pulled low in confusion.

"Is this some kind of game to you? Stealing victims from other vampires-"

"Other vampires?"

"-like some twofaced hero!" Babe carried on with her rant, too upset to listen or even hear him. "Did making me trust you give you a happy or something? You come along like some knight in dusty armour, save me, make me care for you-"

"Care for me?"

"-Trust you with your deep eyes and caring talk. Only to kill me, feed off me, or whatever you're planning to do to me."

"Kill you?" Babe, what are you talking about?" Angel demanded, his confusion growing.

"I know you're a vampire!" she all but spat at him. "The games up, I'm onto you." Her fury at his betrayal of her trust in him, that had empowered her rant and temporarily stifled her fear waned and suddenly she realised just how costly her out burst could be. Would he kill her now? She was still so weak, there was no way she could defend herself. She couldn't even run. She was alone, with a vampire, in his lair, defenceless and helpless and at his mercy. There was nothing she could do but await her fate and hope it was quick. She tensed as he waiting for his move.

"Ho…how did you know?" Angel stammered. Her unexpected acknowledgment had stunned him, but one thing resounded through his mind, like the first glow of kindling, smoking its way to life: She had said she cared for him.

Gazing down at her fear ridden features, he tried to make himself as less threatening as possible. "I'd never hurt you. You don't have to be afraid of me." he told her in the most honest and gentle tone he could.

Trembling as hard as if she'd fallen through an ice hole, Babe met his gaze. Something in the way he was looking down at her told her he was being genuine, but he was a vampire. It didn't make any sense.

"It's a very long story, but I don't kill people…not anymore."

"Not anymore?" she quizzed, neither her confusion nor her fear lessening.

Angel shook his head, unsure why he had felt the need to add in that particular detail. "I stopped," he said simply. Hating the way she was looking at him and wishing he had bitten his tongue, he gently took her hand in both of his. "I know you have no reason to believe me, but you really are safe here. You don't have to be afraid of me."

"I know," she said so softly he thought he had misheard, but the fear filled look on her face was suddenly gone, replaced with one of confused realisation.

"You do?" he asked, shocked. He had been all but ready to have to convince her further.

Babe smiled up at him and nodded weakly to their joined hands. "I can feel it…now. I couldn't before."

"So you're not scared?" he asked, his confusion returning with reinforcements.

"No," she sighed out weakly. "But I don't understand. You're a vampire like Stan is-"

"Was." Angel corrected.

"So how can you be…"

"I was cursed." he told her honestly, baffled as to why he felt the need to literally bear his soul to this woman he had only met the day before and hardly knew. "By Gypsies. I used to be evil…very evil, but I messed with the wrong people and they devised the perfect punishment for me. They restored my humanity by giving me back my soul. Now I help people to try and make amends for what I did - for who I used to be."

Her fingers shyly grassed over the back of his hand. "You're in so much pain." she gasped out, feeling it as strong as if it were her own. "You live with it all the time?"

"I have to." he replied instantly, cursing his mutinous tongue, it was like he had no free will. "One moment of happiness and I would lose my soul. It's part of the curse." he said looking away from those penetrating eyes. He had to, the urge to kiss her was back and those pouting lips looked nothing short of delectable.

"That's not right. No one can live like that, suffering all the time," she said sadly.

"I've got to atone," he said, as if that was enough to convince her. He needed this conversation over and now. His feelings towards her were growing at an alarming rate and he couldn't risk it, especially now that she had all but admitted that she was feeling the same way.

Babe gave his hand a tiny squeeze, wanting to show him that he had her support and understanding, but she simply didn't know what she could say. It was clear that his resolve was set in stone. He had resounded himself to live in misery for the rest of his life and she felt his belief that it was somehow justified.

He looked back to her and smiled a thank you. The compassion that sparkled in her eyes shone brightly even in the near darkness held his gaze longer than he meant. He couldn't believe how much of himself he had revealed to her. The honest openness he had shown her was something that had never happened to him before in all his extra long life. He felt like he had known her for years rather than the few hours and that feeling scared him. The last time he had felt these feelings for someone things had turned out very badly. He was safer, she was safer - hell, the world was safer - when he was alone. But despite his rational reasoning he couldn't drag his gaze from those eyes, so filled with warmth and caring and those tempting lips…

"Go back to sleep," he gently forced the words out, hating himself even as he said it, but knowing he needed more than a moment to get a grip on himself and these unrelenting feelings. "Judging by the way your strengths coming back you'll be back to normal in no time." That was a good thing, he told himself. Once her strength returned she could leave. Get back on with whatever she did with her life before the Powers That Be had intervened. Stan was dead, but she should get away from this unhealthy interest Angel himself had now taken in her to be truly safe.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, as Angel pulled the blankets back over her from where her fidgeting had lowered them. "I should have trusted you."

Angel opened his mouth to answer her, to tell her that there was no need to apologise, but something in the way she was looking at him stopped him. Her eyes smouldered longingly and he leaned lower. He couldn't help himself, he was drawn to her like a moth to a flame. His head was screaming 'NO', but his heart was screaming 'YES'. At that moment he wanted nothing more than to know how if those full lips felt as soft as they looked, if they tasted as good as he was imagining they would. He needed to know what it was about her that had fascinated him since the moment he had first laid eyes on her. He simply had to know and at that moment his heart won the battle of wills and he bent down and tentatively pressed his lips to hers.

He had been wrong, so wrong. Her lips were soft and tasted of the most delectable sweetness he had ever tasted, but they far surpassed his wildest dreams of how good they would feel. The seconds turned to lifetimes and as he melted into her, she parted her lips in perfect responsiveness to his movements. Opening up to all his curiosities and welcoming him to taste her further.

However, despite wanting more Angel slowly pulled back suddenly. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that." he said guiltily, feeling like a moustache twiddling villain taking advantage of the helpless damsel.

"I wasn't complaining." she said with a encouragingly smile.

He returned her smile, albeit sadly. She may not be sorry, but he still was. He shouldn't have kissed her, even if she was willing. She didn't know what she would be getting herself into and in the long run it could only end in heartache. "You should sleep now."

"Will you stay with me?" she asked hopefully, keeping hold of his hand as tightly as her weakened state would permit. Then adding, "I just don't want to be alone," when she felt his hesitation.

"I don't think that would be a very good idea," Angel said with disappointed honesty. His craving for her needed time to be locked away and he simply couldn't risk anything further happening between them right now.

"Please," she all but begged, the longing plane in her eyes as she looked up at him forlornly.

His resolve went down once, twice, three time and drowned.

Mutely nodding his agreement, he walked around the bed and smoothly slipped beneath the covers next to her. This close her scent was overpowering. She smelt good, like summer, sweet and warm.

Lethargically she rolled to face him, her fingers twitching in search of his and when she felt him them lace together she gave him a happily tired smile and her heavy lids dropped closed.

Angel stayed awake for a long time after she fell asleep, just listening to her breathing even out and watching her eyelashes flutter leisurely against her cheeks. Alone with his thoughts he mentally kicked himself. He couldn't believe he had been stupid enough to let this happen…again! Now, not only was he going to have to leave her as he had done with Buffy, but he was also risking the return of Angelus ever moment until then. Heartache was all that was held on the cards for their future and that was the best-case scenario.

"Cordy is going to kill me." he whispered to himself.

…


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Angel awoke to find himself alone in his bed. His still warm and subtly floral scented bed. Slowly remembering the previous night, his first thought was that Babe had seen sense and hightailed out of there, away from the vampiric threat as quick as she was able. It was a good thing, he told himself. She could live her life away from danger, away from pain…away from him. Yes, that was defiantly a good thing, the smart thing for her to do…but if it was so good and so right why did his dead heart ache at the thought.

But even as the thought accrued to him the ache was quelled by a sound nearby. The soft insistent thumping of a human heartbeat.

Letting out a sigh of…relief? Angel slipped out of bed and into his robe.

"Babe?" he called, as he wondered from the bedroom. He found her in the kitchen area. She was leaning against the sideboard with her back to him. Her breathing was heavy and her muscles tensed.

"Are you alright?" he asked and she startled, having not heard his near silent approach.

She jumped, turning to face him and fell. It was only his vampire speed that allowed him to catch her before she hit the floor.

"What are you doing?" he asked as he gently lifted her into one of the seats around the kitchen table. "You're too weak to be up and about."

"I just wanted to get a drink," she told him, slightly breathless and with a blush staining her cheeks. "I guess I got a little freaked when I saw the blood."

Angel followed her eyes to the fridge, where he stored his blood. "That must have been scary." he said remorsefully, he should have moved it, or at least warned her once she knew.

"At first it did," she admitted, "But then I remembered and…I don't know…it felt…natural, normal even."

"It didn't bother you?" he asked, more than a little shocked. Most people, most rational normal people would have run at the sight, but then again most normal, rational people wouldn't have asked a vampire to spend then night with them.

"Everyone's different," Babe replied with a relaxed shrug of her petit shoulders, "I'm not exactly a regular Joe myself."

"Who is nowadays," Angel found himself smiling in agreement.

"Angel…" Babe suddenly became serious. "Why are you helping me? I mean, what's in it for you?"

"Redemption," he answered, once again amazed by his own instant openness towards her. It was as if he couldn't - didn't want to hold anything back from her, completely trusting her expectance. "I told you last night. I have to atone for what I've done."

"So that's your deal? You help people because you used to be a creep?" Babe softly shook her head. "God, half the guys in this city should be running their own P.I companies." she added and Angel couldn't help the all to natural feeling laugh that came out.

"But I still don't get it," she continued when his laughter died down. "You were evil because you didn't have a soul."

"Yeah," Angel agreed, wondering what point she was trying to make.

"But our souls are what makes us who we are. Surely you're a different person now. So isn't it like you're paying for someone else's crimes?"

Angel smiled, touched by her near refusal of his dark side, but almost immediately the smile faded. "In theory."

"You don't believe that?"

"It may be true, but it wouldn't make a difference," he answered sombrely. "The soul…it's like my punishment. It forces me to be who I am now. Makes me remember all those I hurt, I killed."

Babe looked up into his deep pain laced brown eyes and a lump caught in her throat. Although she understood what he was saying, she refused to agree with it. She believed in paying for your crimes, but what he was saying meant he would be paying for them for the rest of his life. His eternal, never ending life. Surely no one, no matter how evil they had been, didn't deserve to suffer forever, without reprieve. Everyone deserved forgiveness, or at least the chance for it, if they found remorse and remorse was defiantly overabundant within him. She could feel it emanating out of him as truly as she could feel his cold skin even through the inefficient barrier of his robe.

But the price for his redemption…it was too high. For both of them. No, that wasn't an option. If only there was another way. A way to end, or even lessen the torment. A way to…

And suddenly she knew what she had to do.

Carefully she pushed aside his robe, exposing his chest to her touch and eyes. She moistened her lips before pinching the lower one between her teeth and laid her palm flat above his unbeating heart.

"What are you doing?" he asked, as her eyelids dropped closed.

"Shhh," she silenced him, keeping her lids lightly together. "Trust me."

He wanted to trust her. He couldn't see this delicate empath ever doing anything other than acts of kindness and good, but he was finding the unknown very intimidating. _'Maybe she's feeling for my emotions again,'_ he found himself thinking, after all it must be very worrisome for her. After all only a day ago she was in the clutches of a vampire boyfriend hell-bent on using her as a free delicatessen and here she was in the arms of another.

He opened his mouth to give her some words of reassurance, when he felt a warm sensation like he had never felt before, start creeping inside his body. It radiated outwards, in tender yet overpowering waves, from her touch and he couldn't help the gasp that escaped him. The warmth consumed his chest, growing ever outwards, creeping into his limbs and up his throat, filling him with a feeling like none he had felt before. It was safety and raw openness, venerability and comfort, passion and fear, all mixed together in a intoxicating drowning pool of heat. And as it clawed inside his head he was forced to close his now crossed eyes against the dizziness that resulted.

Then, suddenly it was gone. Babe's hand fell away from his chest and she dropped to the floor in unrestrained tears.

Shaking off his light-headedness, Angel sunk to his knees beside her, as fast as his tingling body would allow, and pulled her gently into his arms. Holding her gently, he rocked her as she sobbed.

"What did you do?" he asked breathlessly, his voice wavering with anxiety and shocked concern. Throughout his unnaturally long life he had never experienced a sensation like it.

Babe breathed deeply, trying to get her breath back enough to be able to answer him. Opening Angel's heart had drained much more of her energy than she had thought, or hoped.

After a long apprehensive moment she found her voice. "I wanted to…take them from you…The memories…of your victims…but I couldn't…I'm sorry…I wasn't…wasn't strong enough." she panted out between hiccups.

Angel had no clue what he had been expecting her to say, but it certainly hadn't been that. "Why," he frowned, "Why would you do that?"

"I wanted to help," she told him after a watery inhale, "Ease your suffering."

Angel eased her hair back away from her moist face. "You can't." he told her as firmly as he could master in his shaky state. "I'm supposed to suffer. If I don't then the curse is ineffective, no point to it." Even as he said the words another thought accrued to him and he voice it before he could stop himself. "You could have broken the curse."

"You can't live forever in all that pain," she argued in a solemn, drained voice.

"I have to," Angel insisted. "What I did to others is far worse than anything I'm experiencing."

Babe eyed him, unconvinced. Her pouting frown making her look like a child who'd been denied their favourite toy. She had never met anyone who wanted to suffer, welcomed it even. "Has anyone ever told you you're a tricky guy to work out? Maybe when I'm back to full strength I'll understand you better."

"Maybe you're not meant to understand everyone."

"No not everyone," she agreed. "…just you."

Angel's brow furrowed as his confusion and curiosity spiked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I've got to help you and to do that I have to understand you." she told him, cursing her mutinous tongue even as she did.

"I still don't follow."

"You got sent to me didn't you? With the visions?"

"How did you know that?" Angel asked, confirming Babe's suspicious.

"They talk to me too," she explained.

And with that, realisation hit Angel with full clarity. That was why she had recognised him when they first met, even though he had never seen her before. The Powers That Be had sent her to him, the same as they had sent him (via Cordelia) to her.

"They wanted you to help me?" he asked, confused as to why the PTB would offer any sort of assistance or liberation when he was still so far away from atonement.

Babe nodded.

"So they sent us to each other. Why?"

"You got me," she said with a small shrug. "They don't give me details, only orders."

"Orders?" Angel echoed.

"Yeah, don't you get orders?"

"Well I wouldn't call them orders, more like…clues, and they get sent to Cordy not myself."

Angel glanced at the wall clock, then carefully slipped his arm beneath her knees and the other around her back. He lifted her easily.

"Where are we going?"

"Downstairs. The others will be here by now. We need to sort this out."

…

In the reception area of the hotel, Angel carried Babe to one of the sofas outside Wesley's office and gently lowered her onto the cushions, getting her comfy just as Gunn strode through the double doors.

"Good morning my fellow demon fighters," he beamed brightly. Then, spotting Babe, he stammered. "And by demon I mean all those that-"

"It's cool, Gunn." Angel quickly cut off what no doubt would have been a very awkward and thoroughly unconvincing explanation. "She knows."

"It is? She does?"

"We've got to figure out what's going on," Angel explained, ignoring both of Gunn's unnecessary questions. He addressed Cordelia. "You had a vision about Babe."

She nodded in agreement.

"Babe had a vision about me."

That got everyone's full attention. "You get visions too?" Cordy exclaimed excitedly. "Do you get the headaches as well?"

Babe nodded. "Although I think one would pretty much finish me off right now. I've only had a few, well, actually just the same one, over and over."

"How long have you been getting them," Wesley asked, sitting opposite her and leaning forward so he could hear clearly without the weakened woman having to strain her voice.

"I'm not sure, maybe four or five weeks now."

"Try and be accurate, it may be important."

Babe thought about it. "Five weeks," she said with a confirming nod.

"So, you started getting these visions before Stan was turned?" Angel mused.

"Could it just be a coincidence?" Fred offered.

"I don't believe in coincidences," Angel said firmly.

"Me either," Wesley agreed.

Babe's eyes flittered back and forth over each of them. "So what are you saying?"

"I don't know," Angel told her, "But I will."

"I don't get it," Cordy piped up. "Why would the Powers send Babe a vision? I mean, what good would that do?"

Much to Angel's relief Babe didn't seem to bothered by Cordelia's lack of tact, she just explained simply, "I can sense emotion. Sometimes I can even ease them or even erase them completely. I thought that could be why I was sent here, to take away Angel's suffering, but he disagrees."

"I don't think The Powers That Be would go to this effort to make me forget about my wrongs. That doesn't make any sense."

"You think we should team up." Babe stated, fixing Angel with a knowing look.

He nodded. "You've got some pretty unique skills. I'd like to see what you're capable of when you're at full strength."

Babe smile with a blush.


	6. Chapter 6

A.N~ There you go fluffybird, this ones for you

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Six<strong>

The following few days passed slowly, without event. Babe stayed with Angel in the Hyperian, her strength returning slowly but surely.

By the third day (after plenty of rest and lots and lots of energy drinks that they all seemed to pile on her), she felt mostly back to herself. Still a little tired and was defiantly not up for anything to strenuous, but for the most part she felt fine. At least Angel didn't have to carry her around all the time like a baby, which even she admitted had gotten old very fast.

She sat behind the counter, at Cordelia's desk, tiredly tapping the mouse of the aged PC, clicking through various websites. Cordelia sat at the counter, head resting in her hand while she flicked boredly through a magazine that she had already read cover to cover. It was just the two of them. Wesley was in his office, Angel was asleep and Gunn and Fred were out for their tradition breakfast together.

Sighing heavily, Cordy flapped the magazine closed and crossed the small space to the coffee machine. Pouring two mugs, she placed one next to Babe and then hovered over the empath's shoulder, sipping at the second. "What you looking for?"

"New apartment," Babe told her, not taking her eyes off the screen. "Angel's been great letting me stay here and he said I could as long as I needed to. He's so sweet, but I think it's high time I get out of his hair."

Cordelia certainly wasn't under the impression that Angel felt like Babe was 'in his hair', in fact she got the distinct feeling that he was enjoying having the woman as close as possible, if his body languish recently was anything to go by. She also hadn't missed the way the pair had been near on inseparable these past few days, or the lingering stares they each gave the other when they thought no one was watching. If they headed down that path it could only led to trouble, for all concerned.

"You could stay with me." Cordy offered sweetly. She didn't really want a flatmate but getting some distance between these two seemed more important at that precise moment.

"Is that in the apartment with the ghost that tried to kill you?" Babe asked, looking fearfully worried.

Cordy reconsidered. It was a fair point. "Why you looking for a new apartment anyway? I mean, I thought you had a place. Why can't you just go back there?"

Babe ignored Cordelia's lack of tact, she was getting used to it. She didn't mean to be rude, it was just who she was. She was just one of those rare people who said what they thought and Babe found it quite admirable. "I can't go back there…Not after what happened with Stan." she answered sadly.

"I hear that," Cordy agreed. "I mean, if my boyfriend had been using me as a fast food restaurant for weeks, I don't think I'd be able to…" She trailed off when she caught sight of Babe's mournfully expression. "…Sorry."

"It's okay," Babe said, quickly brushing it off, while hiding a tear by taking a big sip of coffee.

"Can I ask you something?"

Babe braced herself. If Cordy had to ask permission then this was a biggie. THE big one every woman who ever had found themselves in similar situation asked themselves repeatedly.

"You wanna know why I stayed with him," Babe guessed.

"Yeah."

Babe thought about it for a long while and then answered as honestly as she could. "I don't really know. I guess I was hoping that he would go back to the way he was. I knew on some level that it wasn't really him anymore, but I think I had more faith in him then I did in my abilities and I couldn't give up on him. I loved him. I always will in some ways. It wasn't him in the end anyway."

Their conversation was interrupted when the front entrance was pushed open and a tall dark haired woman walked in from the street.

"Is this Angel Investigations?"

"Sure is," Cordy confirmed, fixing her brightest smile to her face and rising to greet the potential new client. "I'm Cordelia, this is Babe. How can we help you?"

"Amanda Thorpe," the woman said, shaking Cordelia's offered hand. "I've heard - that is, I mean you have a reputation for handling…unusual cases."

"A richly deserved reputation." Cordelia's beam broadened. "Why don't you tell us what happened?"

Snatching up her note pad Cordelia lead Amanda over to the sofa's and they both sat.

The woman took a deep breath and began her tale. She and her husband, Frank, had been at home the night before last, when a group of four demons had burst in. In the struggle that ensued she had been knocked unconscious and when she had come too both the demons and Frank were no where to be seen.

"Did they take anything else?" Cordy asked, scribbling on the note pad balanced on her knee.

Amanda looked startled. "No. I mean, I don't think so. I didn't think to look. What else could they have wanted?"

"Well that all depends on what demons they were. We'll have to look into it, but they could have been after anything. They don't always want blood or organs sometimes…"

"Cordelia."

The call of her name paused her and she turned to see Angel coming down the stairs, looking less than happy.

Realising just a tad too late that for the second time that morning she had said too much. Sometimes it was hard for someone who grew up on a hell mouth to remember that not everyone was used to the gory detail as she was.

She smiled guiltily at him and introduced him to their new client.

Angel shook her hand and Cordelia quickly filled him in on the details.

"Well, I think we can get started on the descriptions you gave us. Is there anything else you can think of? The smallest detail may be important."

"N-no. I-I told you everything." Amanda stammered.

"Okay," Angel said with a nod. "Well if we need any further information we will call you."

Angel rose and lead Amanda to the door. She seemed shocked that Angel was holding the door open for her, but with one final glance back to where Babe and Cordelia were seated, she left without another word.

"Well that was just plane rude." Cordy griped at Angel. "Do you think you could be at least polite to our paying customers. They're not exactly breaking down the door."

Angel ignored her. His attention was focused on Babe. It hadn't escape his notice that she hadn't said a word since he had come downstairs. In fact, she hadn't even acknowledged him. She had been staring at Amanda, completely focused on the new woman, her expression one of confused fear. Now Amanda had gone she was staring at the door.

Angel stepped up to her cautiously and touched her lightly on the arm. "Babe?"

Startled she snapped her face up to his.

"Are you okay?"

Babe's eyes flicked around the room while she regained her composure, then she nodded slowly.

"What is it?" he asked, unconvinced.

"She wasn't what she seemed." she answered.

"Who is nowadays," Cordelia replied nonchalantly, joining the pair.

"No, it was more than that. She was hiding something. I couldn't tell what, but she can't be trusted." She shook her head and sighed in frustration. "God, I _really _can't wait 'til I get my strength back."

…

"Here," Angel said, handing Babe a glass of orange coloured liquid. "Drink this."

Babe wiggled herself up onto the pillow and made room for Angel to perch himself on the side of the bed.

"What is it?" she asked, taking the glass from him and sipping carefully.

"Some sports drink. High energy stuff. Cordy left it for you."

Angel waited for her to finish, then asked how she was feeling.

"Good," she told him nodding keenly. "A lot better than I did this morning. That nap must have really helped. Did you find the demons?"

Despite Babe's uneasy feeling the group had decided to take Amanda's case. Mr. Thorpe could be in very real danger and they couldn't risk that, especially as Babe's sixth sense was not up to its full potential at present. Babe agreed with them, but remained unconvinced and curious.

"A few leads but nothing concrete," Angel told her, taking the now empty glass and placing it on the side.

When he turned back he noticed Babe was looking at him rather strangely. "What?"

"You don't trust her either?" she replied. It was only now that they were alone and in such close proximity that she had noticed his feeling of unease.

"No point lying to you I suppose." Angel grinned. "There is something off about her…and she seemed familiar somehow."

"You sure it's not just me freaking you out?"

"No," Angel said, his brow pulled low. "I was suspicious of her before you mentioned anything."

"Anything on these red demons?"

"There's more than a dozen that match her decryption," Angel said getting comfortable. "I've managed to narrow it down to five likely culprits, but I'm going to need her to make a positive I.D. She's on her way here now to look through the photos. I want you to come down and speak to her with me. See if you can figure out what she's hiding. You up for it?"

"I think so," Babe told him, unsurely. "Where are the others?"

"They've gone home. There was no point us all being here. Plus I don't want her to feel intimidated."

He offered his hand, which she gratefully took, and helped her out of bed. He kept tight hold of her while he escorted her down the stairs. She was still far too weak for his liking after her time with Stan, but he was impressed at just how quickly her strength was returning. He doubted she would need him for much longer, although he hoped he was wrong. He was not looking forward to the day when she would leave the hotel. He was already too fond of having her around.

He was settling her on one of the sofa's in the lobby when Amanda Thorpe tapped on the door and entered.

"I hope I'm not interrupting."

"Not at all," Angel assured the woman. Gesturing for her to take a seat opposite, Angel sat alongside Babe. "Thank you for coming down so late. You've already met Babe." he said, deliberately introducing the woman again.

"Yes, hello again." Amanda reply and shook Babe's offered hand.

Angel kept his expression neutral, as did Babe, but Angel could tell from the way she stiffened beside him at the moment of their contact, that his plan had been successful. He knew due to her weakened state that Babe needed a physical connection to those she was trying to read, and thank to his subtle introduction, she had had it.

"How can I help?" Amanda asked, turning her attention back to Angel.

"We've found a number of possible matches to the demons you described and need you to make an identification," Angel told her, opening the folder he had ready. Pulling out the contents he showed each one to her carefully one at a time.

As she looked through them Angel questioned her on her husband business and social life, all the while keeping half an eye on Babe searching for any signs of discomfort or weariness. The team had searched but there had been no other reports of missing people with any similarity to Mr Thorpe's case. So they had had to assume that the demons had gone after him personally. Angel just needed to know why.

Half an hour later, they were still no closer to singling out the type of demon or finding a reason for the attack and kidnapping. Noticing Babe was fading with exhaustion, Angel thanked the woman and escorted her out once again.

Locking the door behind him, Angel quickly returned to the sofa's and a weary looking Babe.

"So, what do you think?" Angel asked, already scooping her up in his arms. He didn't want her up when she was looking so tired.

Babe knew the drill and draped her arms around his neck, allowing him to carry her back to the bedroom. "Nothing about her husband," Babe told him, sounding more tired than she looked.

"Don't worry. It was a long shot at best." he said sympathetically. "Maybe when you're feeling stronger-"

"No you don't get it," Babe interrupted. "I got nothing from her at all about him. All the time you were talking about her husband and she had no feelings about it whatsoever. He could be dead and she didn't seem to care."

"If she doesn't care why would she be hiring us?"

"Exactly. She defiantly lying about something. Also she wasn't scared of those demons you showed her, but she was scared of you."

Angel gently lowered her onto the beds soft surface and pulled the covers up. "D'you think she knows about me?"

"That's what I was thinking. You said she looked familiar. Could you have met her before?"

Angel absently got himself comfy beside her while he intensely concentrated. There defiantly was something about the woman that troubled him. He knew he had seem her before somewhere, he just couldn't put his finger on where. He fisted his forehead in frustration. "I can't remember."

"I can help you, if you like." she offered.

Angel looked across to her, his frown shifting to one of intrigued confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I was too weak before, but I think I can manage it now." she rambled.

"I still don't know what you mean." Angel said, looking slightly nervous. After all the last time she had 'tired' something on him hadn't exactly been safe.

"I can help you remember," Babe said. Still not understanding what she meant Angel waiting for her to continue.

Wiggling out from under the blankets, she shifted over making room for him and patted the now empty space beside her on the bed. "Lay down."

Despite his apprehension and did as asked.

She smiled down at him trying to be reassuring. His nervousness would be obvious to her even without her empathic ability.

"Over time our memories fade and they can get blurred with others." she explained knowing the main cause of anyone's fear would be the unknown. "I can bring them back into focus for you. But I need you to be relaxed."

"I'm not sure about this," he said. "You've obviously never done this on a vampire before and you're not up to full strength."

"You don't have to worry. The worse that can happen is it wont work, in which case we're no worse off then we are now."

With nothing holding him back other than his own fear, Angel laid his head back down on the pillow and wriggled his shoulders, getting comfy. "Will it hurt?" he asked.

Babe smiled and shook her head. "No," she said softly, sensing his worry. It was only natural, but in order for this to work she needed him in a completely relaxed state. Talking him through it would help put him at ease. "I'm going to put you into a trace. It'll be just like falling asleep. Assessing your memories is similar to assessing your emotions, just more difficult. Which is why I need you to relax and trust me. The memories will come back to you as if in a dream."

She looked down at him, trying to show confidence and ran her fingers through his hair. "Close your eyes and relax. Just concentrate on your breathing."

"I don't breath." Angel replied. "Remember?"

"Right," she nodded, with a shy smile. "Well, okay uh, just relax then."

Still slightly hesitant, Angel closed his eyes and after rolling his too tense shoulders, laid still.

He felt Babe place her hands on him. One on his chest, as if feeling for a heartbeat, and the other she rested lightly on his forehead.

Minutes passed silently. Angel tried to force himself to relax. He started off listening to Babe's breathing, but as she grew calmer herself her breathing got quieter, until it was impossible for even his vampire hearing to pick up without straining. So he just concentrated on her touch. Her gently hands giving a warm comforting weight on his chest and forehead.

And then he felt a sudden tiredness start to drift over him. Slightly unnerved, he urged himself to not panic and go with it as it covered him like a blanket. Starting at the pit of his stomach and pleasantly creeping over him. All his limbs began to ache nicely and his eyelids grew increasingly heavy.

Babe concentrated, trying to see, to feel deeper than she had. It was more difficult than she had assumed, but then again, as he had pointed out, she had never tried this on a vampire before. She felt the trace take him and forced herself to concentrate harder, to go with him into the same state so accessing him memories would be possible…But it was tricky…more than tricky. She strained harder, throwing all she had into it. It was draining…

Floorboards in the hallway outside the room creaked, snapping her focus.

She turned towards the sound and called, "Wesley?…Cordy?…"

The noise stopped immediately.

"Fred?…Gunn?"

Someone had been walking in the hallway, she was certain of it. Why they hadn't answered her she had no idea, but she decided to find out. She wouldn't be able to help Angel if they were disturbed.

She looked down at Angel, still deep in his trace, and decided not to pull him out of it. It had taken an enormous effort to get him into that state in the first place and she doubted she would have the strength to do it again.

Slowly, she ease herself off the bed and padded out into the hallway.

It was empty.

"Hello?" she called, heading off towards the stairs to the lobby.

"Hold it right there!"

The firm voice was female and came from close behind her, followed by what was unmistakable the click of the hammer of a gun being pulled back.

With her heart in her throat, Babe slowly turned on the spot, raising her hands in the air.

Amanda Thorpe stood a few feet from her. A small hand gun, gripped tight, aimed straight for Babe's chest. "Where is he?"

"W-who?" Babe stammered, knowing full well who, but wasn't about to lead her into him while he was still in his trace. She only hoped she could stall the woman long enough for him to come to natural. Of course that all was dependant on how deep into the trace he had allowed himself to go. For the first time, she prayed he hadn't fully trusted her.

"Don't play dumb with me! Where is he?" Amanda insisted, re-aiming the gun to Babe's face.

"He's not here." Babe lied, fighting to keep the tremble from effecting her voice.

Amanda smiled cruelly. "That's what you would say whether he was here or not." She took a step forward, looking serious. "Last chance."

Babe's lips thinned at she stubbornly stood her ground, refusing to answer.

"Fine. Then we'll just have to go on a little tour."

Pushing the gun into Babe's temple, Amanda lead her back down the hallway the way she had come. It didn't take long for the woman to check the five rooms between them and the room that Angel was in and before Babe could think of anyway to stall the woman further she was pushed inside.

All Babe could do was hope he had had enough time, but as she was pushed into the bedroom area he hopes were dashed.

Angel lay exactly where she had left him, still peacefully oblivious to the danger they both were in, deep in his trace.

"Well isn't this cosy?" Amanda smiled. "You two got a little office romance going here I see."

Desperate to rouse him, Babe master all her energy and shouted at the top of her lungs "ANGEL!"

Pain flashed through Babe's head when Amanda slapped her hard across the face. She fell heavily to the floor.

Angel, however didn't stir.


End file.
